Where does Bobby Witt Jr.’s remarkable 2024 season rank among greatest by KC Royals?

Through mid-May, Bobby Witt Jr. was putting together the best of his three seasons with a solid .845 OPS while on pace to surpass 100 runs scored.

Then he found another gear.

Over the next three months he slugged .700, drove in 67 runs in 75 games and earned American League Player of the Month for July.

Adding up the totals and percentages, Witt has put together one of the best seasons by a position player in the Royals’ 56-year history.

With several games remaining, Witt had already moved to the top of the club’s list for extra base hits and total bases in a season. He stood in the top 5 in hits and runs scored, and became the first shortstop in baseball history to record multiple seasons of at least 30 home runs and 30 stolen bases.

His defensive credentials are among the best at his position, and a Gold Glove, announced after the playoffs, is a possibility.

This epic season paved the way for the greatest turnaround season in Royals history, from 106 losses in Witt’s sophomore year, to a winning record in 2024 and a playoff berth.

It got us wondering: Where does Witt’s monster season rank in Royals’ history? Here’s our countdown:

No. 10 (tie): Mike Sweeney, Jermaine Dye, Johnny Damon, 2000

It was difficult to separate the trio. They all made major contributions to the greatest offensive season in Royals history. Damon set a club record with 136 runs scored while batting .327. Dye bashed 33 home runs and drove in 118 runs while hitting .321. Sweeney’s 144 RBIs are a team record. The Royals set team marks for runs and hits, but pitchers tossed a collective 5.84 ERA.

9. Al Cowens, 1977

In his fourth major league season, Cowens turned in a year worthy of a second-place finish in the MVP voting with career bests of 23 home runs, 112 RBIs, a slash line of .312/.361/.525, and he won his only Gold Glove.

8. George Brett, 1979

With so many great seasons for Brett, it’s difficult to differentiate. This one makes the list with his 20-20-20 (doubles, triples, home runs) season and 363 total bases — a club record until Witt surpassed it this season — 212 hits and third-place finish in the MVP voting.

7. Salvador Perez, 2021

The greatest power season by a Royals catcher, Perez led the AL with 121 RBIs and tied for the league lead with 48 home runs. That total matched a club record and were the most in baseball history by a player who caught at least 75 percent of his team’s games.

6. John Mayberry, 1975

The Royals’ first bonafide slugger, Mayberry totaled career bests of 34 home runs and 106 RBIs and led the AL with 119 walks while finishing second in MVP voting.

5. Willie Wilson, 1980

Brett wasn’t the only Royals player with a big 1980. Wilson’s 230 hits remain a club record and his 133 runs scored led the AL. Oh, and he had 79 stolen bases. Wilson finished fourth in MVP voting for the AL champs.

4. Danny Tartabull, 1991

In the lone All-Star season of his 14-year career, Tartabull was a wrecking ball with 31 homers and a .990 OPS, the highest by a Royals player not named Brett.

3. George Brett, 1985

As he did in 1980, Brett sizzled in July, hitting .432. He finished the year with a career-best 30 home runs, 112 RBIs and an OPS of .1022, the second best in team history. Then he hit .360 in the postseason, helping the Royals overcome 3-1 deficits in the ALCS and World Series.

2. Bobby Witt Jr., 2024

Witt became the third Royals player to lead the American League in batting average (.332) and his 211 hits are fifth most in club history. The totals are amazing: 125 runs, 45 doubles, 11 triples, 32 home runs, and team records for extra base hits (88) and total bases (373).

An incredible July, when he hit .489 with an OPS of 1.353, pushed Witt in the MVP conversation.

As a bonus, consider his performance in the Home Run Derby at the All-Star break. He finished runner-up, but his 50 total dingers were the most by any participant.

Witt has reached superstar status, one that had fans chanting “MVP” for the first time in decades.

1. George Brett, 1980

The gold standard of Royals seasons.

Injuries limited Brett to 117 games. He still set a career high with 118 RBIs, while hitting .390 with an OPS of 1.118. He was hitting .400 as late at Sept. 19. Against right-handed pitchers, Brett struck out six times in 270 plate appearances.

The lone MVP season in Royals history was authored by its greatest player, its Hall of Famer. Brett’s first batting title came in 1976 at age 23, and the All-Star appearances, MVP voting shares and WAR numbers grew to form the case of Brett as one of the game’s all-time great players.

Witt, three years into his career, is 24 and years away from his peak. With his 2024 season rivaling Brett’s greatest, imagine the possibilities for Witt, long-term contract in hand, in the seasons to come.